Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You rode in a taxi yesterday. When you got home, you realized you had left your bag in the taxi.

Write a letter to the manager of the taxi company. In your letter
• explain how you lost your bag.
• describe your bag.
• ask the manager to help you find it.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear sir,

hope this meet well with you, i am writing regarding the item i forgot in your company taxi that i boarded this morning while rushing to work.

i boarded your purple taxi with a number plate 79005AW at Rumokuta junction opposite Sam Bank while rushing to work this at the early hour of the day.

while dropping off i left without my red handbag containing my work identity card, a passport, blue pen and some cash of about 7000 Naira

I am writing to your office to assist track the taxi, so that i can get back my bag

i will be grateful if my request is treated with urgency as i cannot be allowed to perform my duty without my work identity card.

thank you i anticipation to you favorable response.

yours faithfully

origbakpor fidelis

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining how the bag was lost, describing the bag, and requesting assistance. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of the loss is clear, and the description of the bag is sufficient, but the overall brevity prevents a fully developed response. To improve, you should expand on the circumstances of your journey or provide more detail regarding the urgency of the situation to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more comprehensive command of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited. There is a lack of linking words or transition phrases to connect ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between describing the taxi and describing the bag is abrupt. The letter lacks a formal structure appropriate for a business letter, such as a clear closing statement before the sign-off. Improving the use of cohesive devices like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is functional but basic. You use simple terms like 'rushing to work' and 'get back my bag'. While these communicate the message clearly, there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise vocabulary. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'hope this meet well with you' (should be 'I hope this letter finds you well') and 'thank you i anticipation to you favorable response' (should be 'in anticipation of your favorable response'). Expanding your vocabulary to include more formal business-appropriate terms would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains several grammatical errors, particularly with capitalization, punctuation, and verb tense consistency. For instance, 'i' is frequently written in lowercase, and there are missing articles (e.g., 'with a number plate' vs 'with the number plate'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors—such as 'some cash of about 7000 Naira'—indicates a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence construction and formal punctuation rules.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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